This invention relates in general to industrial pallets of the type embodying spaced-apart decks and, more particularly, to such pallets incorporating novel protective components for conducing to the longevity of usage of the same.
Through the years the cost of maintaining industrial or loading pallets has been of a continuing concern to commercial users due to the ever-increasing price of materials of construction such as, especially, wood or other like rigid, impact-resistant materials, such as, suitable plastics, as well as the persistent rise in labor costs. This is singularly pertinent to pallets of the type comprising upper and lower decks of a plurality of spaced deckboards, with such decks being maintained spacedly by means of stringers which coordinate with the deckboards to present longitudinally extending openings for reception of the tines of forks of a fork-lift truck.
It has been common experience that pallet damage is occasioned for a multiplicity of reasons, including careless handling by personnel and inexpert operation of fork-lift trucks, such as, for instance, by the slamming of the fork heels or adjacent portions of such forks into the end deckboards in the initial addressing of the truck to the pallet which impact results in fracturing or rupturing of the end deckboards, and the ends of the adjacent stringers. Another source of damage is the presentation of the tines at an improper angle to the pallet so that in one position the heel will be elevated with relation to the toe of the tines whereby an undue lifting force is applied against the proximate end deckboards with the upward prying of the same or loosening of the related fasteners; and in the opposite position wherein the heel will be depressed with respect to the tine toes which latter will then effect an upward, driving force upon the truck-remote end deckboards with similar results namely, the fracturing and/or upward prying of such deckboards together with dislogdment of the fastening elements. In addition, improper handling of the fork lift trucks in bringing about appropriate disposition of the tines will quite frequently occasion inadvertent, but strong contact of the forks upon the end portions of the stringers causing the same to crack or be undesirably distorted from initial disposition. Such undesired forcing of the stringers from the appropriate, original position may also be effected by the toe portions of the tines striking the side face portions of the stringers when the forks are used for swinging a pallet into requisite position for accepting the tines. Thus, as suggested by the foregoing, loading pallets of the type hereunder consideration are subjected to destructive forces from numerous sources during customary usage in plants today which, understandably, materially reduce the effective life of the same, at substantial expense.
In view of this situation, pallet users must, with undesired regularity, replace damaged pallets or cause the same to be repaired which is a time consuming and costly procedure. Therefore, The maintenance of pallets in fully reliable, useful condition is an aim which has long beset industry, but which currently is becoming more and more a factor of considerable financial concern in view of rising material and labor costs.
Heretofore, various efforts have been undertaken to protect pallets in order to increase the useful life thereof and, hence, to reduce the necessity of costly repair and/or replacement. Such expedients have essentially consisted of applying directly to portions of the pallet reinforcing members, such as, or angle iron, bar stock, or the like, or substituting the usual material of construction, wood, for deckboards and/or stringers, such as, by utilization of metal. Reinforcing members of the type attempted for shielding usage were immediately secured to the peripheral edge portions of the pallet, such as along the transverse, as well as longitudinal, edges of the deckboards and on the end surfaces of the stringers. In essence, these members constituted what might be considered armor plating or were at least edge bindings. Extensive destructive tests were conducted to determine the efficacy of such reinforcing members and the results were quite disappointing in that such tests proved beyond any doubt that pallets so equipped were but slightly more resistant to damage than those pallets not so provided. There had been insufficient appreciation of the precise areas of incidence of destructive forces acting on the pallets during normal usage in order to apply any such reinforcing members in a counter-destructive manner. Actually, such armor elements being attached to portions of the pallet caused a direct transmission of the force of the blows received to the wooden portions of the pallet so that damage was not effectively prevented.
Another expedient has been the substituting of metallic stringers for the customary wooden stringers but such did not solve the basic problem as the utilization of such stringers did not in any way protect the pallet in its most vulnerable point namely, the end deckboards.
All such previous contrivances were provided to increase substantially the cost of the pallets which was not justified as pointed out. Additionally, such prior efforts were not concerned with the economic facilitation of repair of damaged pallets.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pallet construction incorporating novel protective components adapted to resist damage to the end deckboards and the stringers, as might normally heretofore have been occasioned a pallet through improper or negligent fork-lift truck operation and/or careless plant handling, whereby the pallet will remain in a fully utilitarian condition for time periods markedly exceeding the useful life of presently available pallets.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pallet construction as described wherein the protective components are uniquely constructed so as to embody portions which provide a reliable damage-resistance to undesired elevating or upward prying forces acting upon the end deckboards so as to inhibit fracturing thereof and/or loosening of the associated fasteners.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pallet construction of the type hereinabove stated wherein the protective members embody constituents which provide extended lateral support to the end portions of the stringers so as to cause same to withstand forces which would normally tend to urge same from initial relationship with the deckboards.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a pallet construction of the type stated wherein the protective members include adjustable portions for assuring of effective embracing of the end portions of the end deckboards within the normal range of fluctuations of the thickness thereof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet construction of the character stated wherein the protective members may be uniquely dimensioned for efficiently accommodating stringers which may have been distorted from an original position through careless handling and thereby conduce to great economy by virtue of obviating the necessity of replacing the stringers with the occasioned substantial reconstruction of the pallet.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a pallet construction wherein the protective components shield the end deckboards against undesired upward ripping from forces applied by steel straps or other banding means for securing loads upon the pallet as well as to guard against fracturing or breaking due to lifting forces effected by cargo slings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pallet construction of the character stated wherein the protective components serve to maintain the overall integrity of the pallet.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet construction of the basic so-called flush block type, also generally referred to as the "European pool pallet", which is peculiarly adapted to resist the destructive impact forces to which the same is customarily subjected in normal usage.
Another object of the present invention is to provide protective members for engagement upon existing flush block-type or European pool pallets for reinforcing the same and thereby conducing to a substantially increased operational life.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pallet construction of the character stated which may be economically manufactured; the use of which reduces pallet maintenance cost to a minimum; which pallets may be of various constructions or designs; which pallets may be built of any suitable material of construction which is impact resistant, such as, particularly, wood and various suitable plastics; and which pallets have been proven reliable and durable in usage; as well as to provide discrete pallet protective members for engagement upon existing pallets.